The Courage Herd
A bit about the animals we love.
Knowing the earth like few others.
The equine friends we live with, who we call The Courage Herd, includes great diversity and, like all healthy communities, is constantly growing and changing. The herd currently includes five horses, a miniature donkey, and four sheep who live together in harmony outside 24/7.
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Horses are one of a handful of animals alive today that have been on earth the longest - over 55 million years. Their connection with humans has been a short blip in that history and yet has had a powerful impact on their ability to thrive and use the ever-evolving intelligence that has guided them for so long. In the West, since their usefulness as war horses and farm implements has largely ended, they often suffer from misunderstanding and the need to be “productive” in a capitalist system.
As long-time classically trained equestrian riders, for many years we followed engrained practices in horse care. We loved our horse friends, we just didn't realize that our way of caring for them lacked one essential ingredient: choice. We didn't realize that many things we'd been taught about modern horse care were simply not true about their essential nature and were often detrimental to their well-being.
When we moved to the farm we made a promise to Echo, who had been in our family already for years, and the others who joined us that we would work to understand and respect their choices and seek to learn from them. We also promised them the freedom to discover what being a herd means to them.
For the past decade the herd has been and continues to be our cherished guide in how to relate to each other and this place in a good way. Through their way of living they bring a calm, loving presence that everyone who lives here and visits feels. As master foragers, they teach us about the medicine of plants. And, by collecting their over 300 pounds of manure each day, we have a continuous supply of rich composted soil.
Over the past 9 years, like the forest, the herd has changed a lot. Some have died and new ones have arrived - some filled with youthful joy, others deeply traumatized. With every coming and going they have extended the thread of aliveness they share and reshaped and grown in ways that were unimaginable to us.
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​Following the herd's lead
Through the years the herd has continuously led us into deeper relationship with the life of this place. They've called us to connect to the rocky soil they walk upon with every step, the forest that surrounds and enlivens them, the plants they forage, the night sky, the wind, cold and rain. Our first donkey friend, who turned out to be a master shepherdess, introduced us to sheep. When she died we promised to continue in her name. This year, we know others will join us too - a cow, the bees - and we'll do our best to listen to the song of interrelationship that is always emerging, to tend to everyone's health and continue to learn their choices and intelligence.
​The herd's gift to us and those who join us for farm events, is to share in the profoundly peaceful space of aliveness they tend to every day. As we often say, “everything and no-thing is going on all the time”. To be present in our bodies, in a safe space where all beings are seen as kin, and consciously regarded and respected for who they are, is a life-opening, life-altering and life-affirming experience.
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It's essential to a healthy food system.
